


Ghost King vs. The World

by GreenKnight



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, Post-House of Hades
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-04
Updated: 2014-11-29
Packaged: 2018-01-21 21:56:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1565444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenKnight/pseuds/GreenKnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico knows that his love for Percy isn't taking him anywhere. His unrequited love only gets him hurt every time but he is the type of guy who doesn't know when to stop. Will his feelings get through, even if the whole world is against him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ghost King Meets Dad

The face and voice of Percy as he gave his thanks to Nico was the only thing in the Hades' kid's head while they were shadow-travelling. It was a long trip, their bodies have compressed, stretched and curled during the journey and now they're starting to materialise. "Where the fuck did you take us, Nico?", asked Reyna irritatingly.

Half of their bodies were submerged in water and the air has a whiff of salt. The sky was pitch black with a few stars peeking through the thin layer of clouds and the waves were starting to get more active. "You got me all wet, Di Angelo!!", Coach Hedge complained after he was struck by a strong wave.

"Let's move inland and I'll summon some ghosts to confirm our location." Despite the pain and fatigue brought by the shadow-travel, Nico found himself still able to move and speak. He was feeling uncertain, he got distracted before they shadow-travelled. His thoughts of Percy ruined his concentration, leading them to end up in a beach, the sea. He was blushing without realising it and Reyna wouldn't let that pass unnoticed.

"Why are you blushing, Nico? And are you going to leave the Athena Parthenos here?" Nico flinched and stopped advancing towards the shore. Reyna was getting annoyed with the kid but a part of her can empathise with him. She was itching to know why. "Nico!"

"Right. Coach Hedge, let's tie it up to the ground.", the boy said as he turned to his companions. He produced a black ball of yarn from his pocket.

"With that? Come on, kid, we need to keep this safe until we reach camp!" The satyr was getting furious with Nico. First, he teleported them to the sea. Second, he was hit by wave because they were teleported to the sea. Third, they can't keep the statue somewhere safe because they were teleported to the sea. And lastly, the kid wants to tie the statue on the ground with a ball of yarn?!

"Adis tous alysida káto." The ball of yarn turned into Stygian Iron chains. Nico started to secure the statue to the ground without the help of the satyr. Reyna tried to help but he didn't let her. Hedge offered his assistance only after Nico was on the final stage.

"Are you sure that monsters won't be able to break that?" Reyna knows that the chains were sturdy but she doesn't want to regret not confirming it. All kinds of monsters have sprung out of Tartarus, there's no knowing which of them will try to steal the statue.

"It's unbreakable, that is the thing they use to bind gods and monsters in the Underworld.", Nico answered nonchalantly. His focus was on their current situation, being wet and lost. He started moving to the shore, this time without calling the other two. The smell of the sea was irritating him, stirring up some unnecessary emotions.

Reyna immediately followed him. She was a bit insulted by Nico's act. Even if he's a son of one of the Big Three, Reyna is still ranks higher than him. She is older than him, if her being praetor doesn't count. The satyr walked behind her silently. The cold wind brushed against her right after they reached the shore. The water on her clothes reinforced the chill brought by the wind. She shivered lightly but tried to hide it.

Nico was unfazed by the wind. He is immune to cold, be it in any form. The shore was made mainly of huge rock formations, the sandy beach only occupied a few meters. He can feel a strong presence of the dead here. They settled on a small cave at the edge of the tallest rock structure.

Reyna was getting more and more agitated of their situation. They're inside a small cave. She was sitting on one of those flat rocks close to the cave opening. The first thing she noticed before they moved into the cavern was the rusting old bullets peeking through some of the cracks. Some sort of battle happened here during second world war, her war instincts told her. This made her more uneasy. What could be running inside the boy's head when he brought them here?

Without saying anything, Nico summoned a ghost right in the middle of the cave. Hedge was surprised, gripping his bat firmly and aiming it at the ghost. The satyr was angry but he didn't let it out. Of all the demigods he has been assigned with, Nico was his last choice. He handled Hades' kids before but there is something with Nico that unnerves him.

The ghost was wearing a thick-looking robe that covers his whole body, his arms and even his hands. His face was covered with bandage making him look like a mummy. There were traces of blood on the lower right part of his bandaged face. "Where is this place?", asked Nico.

"Isla Lazarete, Chania, Crete.", the ghost answered briefly. Crete? But that is around 600 km away from Epirus. Nico was shocked, there must be some mistake. Shadow-travelling for a few hundred of kilometres would normally leave him too exhausted to move around. The ghost was unperturbed and didn't mind any of them.

"Why are we in Crete, Nico? Are we supposed to meet someone here? I thought we were supposed to move West." Reyna was obviously displeased by the results of their shadow-travelling.

"Yeah, Nico, why here?!", added the confused satyr.

'I don't know!", Nico snapped back at them. In his head, he was blaming himself. He failed them, how could he let his emotions mess with his shadow travel. What would the others say if they learned about this? What would Percy say? Shit. "Tell me more about this island." He was forcing himself to keep a calm composure.

"It is uninhabited, only visited by a few tourists by day. There's a small church in the middle of the island. It was once used as a quarantine for lepers. ", the ghost answered meekly.

"What about those old bullets stuck on those rocks? What important events happened on this island?" Reyna was getting extremely perturbed by their current situation. Nico seems ignorant of where he brought them and what's happening. There has to be an explanation for this, like divine intervention or something.

"This island was used by the Germans as their shooting range for cannons. This is also where Icarus, the son of Daedalus, died after his head hit the ground. Poseidon usually takes a stroll around the island, this is where he met his first human wife."

That must be it. But what could the sea god want from them. Reyna never imagined Neptune as someone who would take lax walks at the beach every now and then. "Nico, you didn't intend us to get teleported here, right?" There are still a lot of questions that she wants answered.

"No, I was planning to get to a town somewhere in Albania." The boy looked flustered as well. The sea god must've messed with their shadow travel. But on what grounds would he alter their destination? Did he insult the god? Or will he offer them help?

"You didn't insult him in any way, right?"

"I didn't." Nico wouldn't dare. Poseidon was Percy's father, after all. He wouldn't want to look bad to the god. These thoughts made Nico feel guilty. Does Poseidon care about him liking Percy?

"I heard someone saying my name so I thought, I'd drop by and say hi." It was Poseidon, god of the sea. He was watching them from the left side of the cave entrance with his left hand resting on the rock ceiling.

Everyone was shocked, including the ghost which vanished immediately after the appearance of the god. Nico was getting all nervous and sweaty with this encounter. Reyna was holding the scabbard of her sword, alert and ready for battle. Coach Hedge stepped back a bit, overwhelmed with the sight of the god.

"Oh, Nico, Son of Hades, I believe we have something we need to discuss, privately…"


	2. Son to Dad Talk?

Reyna was reluctant to let Poseidon talk to Nico privately but her gut tells her not to oppose the god's request. Well, even if she complains about it, there's no knowing what Nico or Poseidon would do. The boy got cold feet right after the sea god showed up. She can smell something fishy but she can't get her hands to it yet. Now, all she can do is dry herself up by the fire made by their satyr companion in their cave and watch the two as they talked by the beach. 

From their vantage point, all they can see was Nico sitting on a rock by the beach beside Poseidon, who is sitting on the sand. They were both facing the sea while engaged in a seemingly casual conversation. The god was wearing sandals, khaki shorts and a floral hawaiian shirt. What kind of god wears that? Neptune would surely be infuriated seeing his Greek counterpart. The god's calm and friendly demeanour were not impressing Reyna. Occasionally, she can notice Nico flinching and the sea god laughing. 

"So, they seem like they're having fun…", Reyna mumbled flatly.

Hedge has been a protector for a long time already but he never met any of the major gods before, except for their camp director, Dionysus. He's aware of what gods of this calibre can do and he's not planning on witnessing it. "Yeah, they are but Nico looks uncomfortable."

Nico was getting tired of being too cautious while he's with Percy's dad. Well, it's Percy's dad, how could he not be on guard. He's as stiff as the Athena Parthenos, silent and unmoving but his mind was racing, thinking of all the possible mistakes he could ever commit in front of the sea god. 

One of the techniques that he learned so far in order to keep his soul intact to his body is to focus on the horizon. The waves and the stars kept his eyes distracted from the major danger, Poseidon's sea green eyes. Looking at them reminds him of Percy, which is not really helpful to his situation. 

"I met cupid two days ago." Upon hearing the name of the God of Love, Nico felt an extremely unusual chill. His body involuntarily shivered and he did his best to suppress it. And to make things worse, Poseidon was chuckling. All the suffering that Cupid brought him burned deep in his heart and now he can feel it blazing and overflowing. 

"What's funny about that, huh?!" He snapped at the god looking at him directly in the eye. Sea green, he fell for the most obvious trap, now he has to pay for it. The audacity he had vanished at once when he realised what he has done. The god was clearly shocked, stunned, even for a moment. Nico turned his gaze to ground, feeling shame and fear. "I… I… I'm sorry." 

"No, no, no… It was my fault. I knew you're uncomfortable with it and I still went on and laughed." Nico can't see Poseidon's face but the god doesn't sound infuriated by his impudent retort, at least. He was expecting a tsunami, maelstrom or an earthquake that would kill him, but none of those things happened yet. The sea seems calm enough, gently caressing their feet with each slow wave. "Cupid kind of exaggerated everything though…", Poseidon added warily.

"So… You know about it already." This is the topic that Nico would never think of discussing with Poseidon, but now, it appears to be unavoidable. The soft touch of the waves was working well on him. His fear and chagrin was fading and the god's company was becoming more and more bearable. 

"Oh, yes, and I must say, I'm pretty impressed by your actions." With that, Nico felt glad. Only a few people knows about what he did for Percy and Annabeth's quest in Tartarus. Still, he didn't want to show any of his happiness. Looking back at things now made him feel a bit uneasy. It was all madness… "You did well and proved yourself worthy of my son."

What the hell is Poseidon doing? Nico's face was blazing bright red. Every moment in his life when he almost gave up on Percy flashed in his head. Him getting into a relationship with Annabeth, their Paris date, their reunion after the Hera biz. It has always been problematic and when he was about to give up, the damn gorgeous Percy suddenly appears and gives him reason not to. And now, here is his dad, praising Nico, making him hope that he deserves Percy. 

"Uhh, Nico… " The god was trying look at Nico's face. The boy was clearly unsettled of his thoughts. 

"Why are you telling me this? What do you want from me?", Nico asked the god wearily. The boy was getting tired of being played on by the son and the father. He was tired of hoping for something impossible to happen. He wants things clear, here and now. The god was on his left side and Nico was looking at his right, trying to avert his vision from him. 

"I am here to help.", the god answered tersely. Poseidon eyes were now focused on the horizon, as if thinking of something so deeply in the abyss. "But first, let's deal with your quest."

What was the god planning? He aroused certain powerful emotions of Nico and then he goes on talking about their quest. Nico was enraged by this but he knows that the world weighs more than his petty feelings right now. He composed himself, putting on a grim face and urged the god to carry on. "Okay, what do we do?"

The same thing happened to the god. The carefree tourist-like Poseidon was turned into a war general with blazing deep blue eyes, resembling the abyss, ready for battle. "Most of Gaea's forces were concentrated on the Ancient Lands. Your plan of retracing the path you followed when you went to Epirus will surely fail, no matter how many deviations you do." Nico was listening intently, looking at the god's deep blue eyes which were focused on the dark horizon.

He nodded and then asked, "Okay. So where should we go next?" 

The god motioned his right hand to his polo's left pocket and produced a small piece of old paper from it, the size of a post-it. He handed it to Nico. The paper felt a bit cold to Nico's hand. It was folded several times. "Don't open it now. Open it only when you're about to shadow travel, Hades' sigil will appear on your next destination every time you need it." 

"Thanks. That's all?" Nico was grateful of the gods help but there are still questions that he wants answered. He placed the paper in his jacket's right pocket and looked at the god intently until he noticed the god's eyes slowly returning to it's sea green colour. 

"Yes, and my sigil stands for Percy's current location.", Poseidon told Nico with a smile. The boy immediately turned his eyes from the god. "I have to go soon. The rift between me and Neptune is getting more and more unstable." 

"Why are you helping us?", it was Nico's final question, for now. He understands how the gods are getting busy and torn with their Greek/Roman dilemmas. Even his dad was having painful headaches the last time he saw him in the Underworld. 

"I want you to win. I want YOU to win. I'm rooting for you, Nico di Angelo, Son of Hades.", the god answered sounding upbeat. And then he suddenly vanished. Nico felt some cold mist from where the god was. The boy looked far at the sea trying to understand what the god meant when he said he was rooting for him. 

"Why?", he mumbled softly.

A strong wave rushed towards him and drenched him in saltwater, only for a moment though. It was as if he is waterproof. After the water receded, he was all dry and only the god's voice remained. "I don't want Athena's child to have Percy." And then there's Poseidon's jolly chuckle. 

The sea god's humour was getting quite unbearable to Nico but at least it's done. Now, he's back to the usual saving camp and saving the world thing. If Poseidon was serious with his last remark, Nico doesn't agree that well with him. Annabeth really loves Percy and if she's the one that Percy wants, even then even the god can't mess with that. He made peace with that already, but that doesn't mean he's giving up the fight. Sounds of footsteps on the sand were getting closer, it was Coach Hedge and Reyna.

"What did he say?", Reyna asked while panting.

 


	3. Ghost King Vs. General Reyna

 

The last thing Nico wanted after a nerve-wrecking talk with Poseidon was to be the subject of a two-hour inquisition with General Reyna and Lieutenant General Hedge. He did his best to relay whatever the god told him but the inquisitors were very strict with details.  But that's not the worst part. They don't really trust whatever he's saying. 

"He was just reminiscing the old days when he used to walk around the island with his first love!", Nico retorted forcefully. Of course, no one would believe that. Poseidon's laughter was so thunderous and crunchy, if you can even describe a laugh using that second adjective,  which will surely give you a hint that he's making fun of something. 

Nico is not about to blurt out what the god said about him and Percy. The omitted details are now getting back at him. Reyna can most certainly read through his lies. The girl was agitated, wishing she had brought her two metal dogs. They could easily prove the damn kid's lies. He is hiding something but Reyna's not about to jeopardise their quest just because of this kid's dishonesty even if her war wisdom tells her otherwise.

"Okay, we'll go along with that explanation for now but I'm not satisfied, Nico. We'll have to prepare for tomorrow's journey first." Reyna was back to her strategist self again. Aside from the meeting with Poseidon, she was also worried with their current state. Their clothes are all dried up now but their stomachs were still empty and there's not a single sign of civilisation in the island, which means properly cooked human food would be difficult. They have to rely on nature on this one. "Coach Hedge, scour the island for some fruits that we can eat for dinner. I'll hunt some fish. Nico, watch over the Athena Parthenos while we are gone." 

"I'll hunt for some wild rabbits or deer.", Nico offered instead of following Reyna's orders. He doesn't want to sit on the corner and watch the other two work hard with him doing nothing. What does Reyna take him for? 

"You'll stay here and watch over the Athena Parthenos. That's final." With that she left walking towards the sea leaving Nico sitting on the rectangular rock on the mouth of the cave where they left their things. Coach Hedge left immediately after Reyna gave her orders. 

Reyna didn't want her first impression of Nico ruin her view of him but from what the way the boy is acting, it's getting harder and harder for her to trust him. He was the solitary dark storm brewing around the corner during his stay in Camp Jupiter. The survival instincts of most of the Roman kids drove them away from him while the others stayed close to him with their guards up. Reyna saw him as a threat as well and kept her eyes on him all throughout his stay.

It was a hard duty, Nico moved just like the shadows. He bends and twists at the smallest movement of the light source, vanishing and appearing without any notice. He was the son of Hades, cold and unfeeling but Reyna's view of him changed once Nico met Percy in camp. Nico's expression didn't change but Reyna saw something in his eyes that wasn't there before: a warm glow against the frozen obsidian. His intense sense of friendship to Percy must be the light source. And that was when Reyna decided they could trust the boy.

But now, the trust she tried to nourish all this time was withering with only a few green leaves left. Reyna likes to think that Nico has grave reasons behind this. Demigods always get all sorts of difficulties in their lives, from personal to universal, and perhaps the boy is having a personal one. Her praetor self wants to know what it is. She can never leave her subjects knowing they're wallowing in their individual problems. She knows that she has to confront Nico soon before they start moving again.

Reyna forced these thoughts out her mind and focused on the moment, one of the most important lessons Robert Greene's 33 Strategies of War taught her. She needs to fish and this will be her second time. The first one was a very important memory to her, it was when she was camping with her mom, Bellona and her dad. With that in mind, she's determined to show them how much she has grown by getting as much fish as they did in the past.

Nico has his heart filled with too much emotion. It's beeping wildly alarming him of its impending break down. He feels really bad yet really good at the same time and the mixture of the two is tearing his insides apart. Poseidon likes him for Percy but what about Percy? He already has freakin' Annabeth Chase. His risky actions were recognised by the sea-god but what about his companions whom he lied to just now? He hated lying, not to anyone but his damn love for Percy compels him to do so. Now, they only trust him to stay put and watch over the damn statue.

Nico stared at the figure of the Athena Parthenos chained at the ground by the shore. The water has already reached the statue's knee. He knows he can trust his vision better when it's dark but what he's seeing now is making him doubt it. The colossal sculpture is glaring at him with its eyes glowing red. Nico was surprised but he felt more of annoyance towards the Athena's statue. His companions are starting to get hostile towards him and now even the damn statue is glaring at him. Shit. What the hell is wrong with him?

Reyna saw the light being emitted by the statue's eyes. She ran towards the shore to check up on what happened to Nico. The boy was sitting on the same rock where she left him, glaring at the Athena Parthenos. "Nico, what the hell are you doing?" 

"She is freakin' glaring' at me so I'm glaring at her the same way she does!" Nico's temper was on its limits. The gods are surely playing with his fate. 

"Stop, even if that's only a statue, it is sacred to Minerva." Her training at camp and her quest experiences taught her not to desecrate or insult the gods, even their holy symbols or objects. 

"Oh, so it is okay for Athena to glare at me since I'm not sacred?!", Nico snapped at Reyna. In that moment something flashed in Reyna's head. She remembered something Jason said to her before they started on their journey with the Athena Parthenos. "Nico and Athena won't get along well. He is under Categoria Denegare." Denegare, demigods under that category are the ones they help during the feast of Valentinus, guys or girls who can't confess their love. 

Reyna knows it is a bit out of line to ask this question but she knows it might help make things clearer between them. "Nico… are you in love with someone?" The boy suddenly froze, his face turned blank and looked away from Reyna. Finally, she has cornered the agile shadow. At that moment, Reyna knew what needs to be done. 

She's back to her old praetor duties, ready to address her subjects dilemmas. Reyna ignored the glaring statue and stood in front of Nico. "I know how you feel and it is completely okay. You can trust me, Nico. I'll help you." She believed her words. She knows how it feels and it doesn't feel all that nice. To have that someone right in front of you but being unable to tell them or show them how you really feel. 

"You don't know a single thing about it." Today is the day the gods cursed Nico di Angelo. He is anything but safe and comfortable. The secret he's been keeping for years suddenly became something that everyone knew. He hated Poseidon and he hated this girl and her all-knowing act. 

"It's Percy, isn't it?"


	4. Percy vs. The RIft

They were preparing their supplies for their trip to Athens when Percy felt a sharp tingling sensation on the lower portion of his spine. It was where his Achilles' heel used to be before his invincibility was washed off by the River of Tiber. He quickly moved his hand over it to check if there's anything wrong with it. 

Jason noticed that Percy was wincing. They were carrying barrels of Greek fire and gunpowder for hours now and perhaps the son of Neptune was exhausted from the job. "Percy, you okay?" 

The question startled Percy. The feeling didn't go away and it was becoming more and more intense with every passing minute. He didn't want to show it but the feeling was overwhelming him. "I… I… I'm okay." Well, that sounded bad. He was getting more and more worried about how long the pain will last and the fact that he looks so weak at the moment.

Jason dropped the barrel of Greek fire he is carrying and went over to Percy's side. The other demigod was already kneeling with his both hands holding the bottom of his spine. Jason knew that everyone's wounds and injuries were already tended to right after their battle in the House of Hades, so Percy shouldn't have any open wounds or injuries. He moved behind Percy in a position to check where the boy's hands are. "Let me check it, move your hands." 

Percy was afraid of what might be there but it doesn't feel rough or anything when he touched it with his hands so he simply nodded and moved his hands from his back. Jason lifted Percy's shirt and looked at the spot the sea demigod was holding. To his amazement, there was nothing unusual with it. "How does it look?", Percy said with obvious pain in his voice. The son of Jupiter caressed and tried to feel the skin on Percy's back. 

"It looks and feels fine. I don't see anything out of ordinary." Jason caressed it one more time just to make sure. Percy's skin was soft and hairless. If there was anything weird that Jason noticed, it was Percy's boxers peeking through his black denim pants. It was a sky blue striped one. "Can you walk, Percy? Maybe you need rest. I'll bring you to your room and ask someone to check on it." 

"I… can." Percy was reluctant to go since he knew that there were still things to be done for their next journey but the tingling was really bringing his work performance down. The sensation wasn't that painful compared to most of the injuries that he ever experienced but there was something with this one that gives him chills. First, the pain was specific to his past Achilles' heel. Second, the pain was reminiscent of his dip on the river Styx, for some reasons he can't comprehend. And third, he can feel a force from that area splitting him into two. 

Jason supported Percy as the boy got up from his kneeling position. He placed Percy's left hand on his shoulder and helped him carry his weight as they walked upstairs to Percy's room. It was a good thing that his room was only three rooms from the stairs. Jason was getting worried and curious about Percy's situation. How is he feeling right now? What would Nico do in this situation and how is the Hades kid faring with his mission with Reyna? 

Percy did his best to walk, trying to keep a straight face towards their destination. He noticed Jason staring at him. He can't blame the son of Zeus for he knows that he looks really bad. He averted his gaze from the blond guy and focused on his room. Even if he lies down on his bed, he doubts that the pain would go away. There has to be a reason for this but he can't seem to get to it. They arrived in front of his room and Jason opened it for him. The guy also helped him lie down on the bed. "Do you want anything? I'll get Annabeth and the others to check on you."

Percy doesn't know what he needs nor does he know what was wrong with him. "No. Thank you." He doesn't want to worry anyone about his situation but he knows he needs help from someone who can possibly diagnose what sort of sickness/curse or whatever demigod-related ailment struck him. Their next stage won't be an easy one; everyone has to be prepared for it, especially him. He just can't face Gaea like this. 

Jason left the sick-looking Percy and went upstairs to fetch Piper, Hazel and Annabeth. He didn't want to disturb the guys for he knew that they were also doing certain tasks for their flight tomorrow at dawn. He was getting more and more worried of their quest, of Percy. What could be wrong with the guy? And why now? There is only one character to blame in Jason's head, Gaea. 

He arrived at the deck where Piper, Hazel and Annabeth were setting up their dining table. They have decided earlier that this could be their last chance to eat dinner under the stars since the ArgoII would be on air in a matter of hours. When in flight, they have no choice but to have their meals inside the main hall. "Guys, we have a problem. Something is wrong with Percy…" 

"What? Where is he?", Annabeth's reaction was quick. The creases on her forehead grew evident as she eyed Jason questioningly. The other two also looked worried but they weren't to keen on showing it. 

"He is on his room, waiting for us." Annabeth dropped the dishes she was holding on the table, ran quickly and went past Jason. He wasn't shocked of her reaction, thinking that if Piper is in the same situation as Percy. then he would surely rush to her side instantly. He looked at Piper with the same worried eyes he had before but this time with more empathy and passion. "Let's go?" 

Hazel was the one who led them as they walked to Percy's room. There is something with her that always creeps Jason out. And now she looks exceptionally distraught. Annabeth was sitting beside Percy when they arrived. She seemed to be examining the boy's condition.  

Piper's hand embraced Jason's as they entered the room. "What happened to him?", she asked softly. Out of nowhere, Jason heard Nico's voice echo Piper's words and he simply gave Piper's hand a little squeeze. The girl looked at him quizzically but Jason's gaze was locked on Percy. She can feel the distress in the room, emanating primarily from Annabeth and unexpectedly from Hazel. 

Hazel was standing at the foot of Percy's bed, watching Percy with her unmoving gold eyes. Her aura was different from the usual. Golden coins, armours and other precious gems and metals were starting to come out of the ship's floor. Piper got alarmed by this and immediately went over to Hazel's side. 

"Hazel, are you okay?", she asked as she was shaking the brown-haired girl. Hazel's skin felt cold on Piper's hand. The precious metals stopped. Hazel blinked her eyes thrice as if trying to clear her vision. "Hazel…" Piper was getting more and more worried of her companions. Everyone is vein afflicted with something, and they don't have any idea on what's happening but she knows she has to stay strong. If she falls under this cloud of affliction, then her charmspeak won't be able to help them and would instead bring everyone down. 

"The Styx is fighting against Tiber.", Hazel muttered as she recovered from spacing out. All eyes were on her, wanting yet fearing a clear explanation for what she just said. Annabeth was the one who had the audacity to ask. 

"What do you mean, Hazel?" Annabeth already have some interpretations regarding Hazel's sudden pronouncement but she wanted to hear it from Hazel. 

"Percy's Greek and Roman sides are clashing against each other. It's like the same thing that's happening with the gods. I can see his soul containing two distinct liquids trying to mix but the result is always like oil and water. That's the Styx and the Tiber. Even I don't understand why or how this is happening to him…" She looked pale while giving her explanation. "… we need help from the gods." 

 


	5. Oath of Fealty

The dawn was breaking and Nico is still wide awake in his makeshift bed of an old chimera fleece and and his treasured skull-print blanket. He's been awake all night perturbed by most everything, especially about how their quest will go, knowing that most things are not within his comfort zone anymore. 

He is having second thoughts if he can trust Reyna. After being compelled by the gods' interventions, he spilled his secret to her last night. He thinks he is attracting too much attention from Olympus due to his unrequited love for Percy. If they don't want him to continue, then why don't they just tell him to stop; not like this, when all they do is give him false hopes. 

The dark starless sky is slowly starting to be painted with the bright rays of the morning sun. They will have to shadow travel after breakfast, and hopefully, the gods won't intervene this time. Nico slowly got up and checked his companions' situation. It was a good decision to sleep just by the mouth of the cave, the cold air coming from the sea seemed to have helped the other two get some really good sleep. 

Reyna looked stiff under her purple Camp Jupiter blanket. She has a frown on her face and her right hand is on the hilt of her gladius, ready for battle. Nico kept a laugh to himself. She actually looked amusing rather than threatening. _I know how you feel. He's just too perfect for me, too._  He actually feels better now, having someone who knows and 'cares' about his teeny little secret, and he's hating himself for it. 

Hedge was sleeping on all fours, face down on the ground with just his magical pillow with him. He has braved the cold cold night with just his thick fur. Nico still remained passive with this satyr, he can't feel any string of association with the guy. He's no creature of the underworld after all. 

The Son of Hades walked towards the sea and immersed his feet with it. The water was cold but soothing, unlike the rivers of the underworld, which tears and breaks every little piece of hope in a creature. He felt a ripple of drowsiness slowly emanating from his submerged feet to his whole body. 

"Don't get too attracted to the sea, it might drown you." The boy blinked, startled by Reyna's sudden remark. 

He seemed really comfortable in his position: his elbows were the only thing supporting him from lying down completely on the shore, his head was resting on vacuum with his eyes closed showing conspicuous signs of sleeplessness and tiredness, his knees was bent to an obtuse angle and his feet underwater. It's miserable and magical how Nico can keep up to his 'little hero tragedy". That's how Reyna phrases his current situation. 

"I've long been drowned but I returned from the dead, ready to drown again." Nico hated this hopeless romantic side of his, but its just there inside him, trying to come out of its closet. Reyna's probably the only person who has seen this side of him, excluding his sister from the list, of course. Her comment was a bit uncalled for. If it wasn't for her worried tone, he would've assumed she was mocking him. 

"Even the greatest heroes of the ancient world didn't always get second chances at life. Make the best out of it." If there's a hero who went back from the dead, it would be Nico's sister, Hazel. He haven't tried dying, at least literally. 

"I will. I'm not one that lets opportunities go." he said with his eyes fixed on the rising sun on the horizon. "But promise me by Styx that you'll keep this a secret." 

Nico's eyes were on her when he muttered this. She didn't know what to say at first but she knew she had to reply quick. Hades have never been famous for being patient. "I'm a Roman, Nico." 

"But we only have one Underworld. Swear by Styx and on your Roman honour, then." he  retorted quickly. Reyna was hesitant; she knew that Romans don't usually swear by Styx but instead by the Senate and the People of Rome. Why is this brat torturing her, just right after getting up in the morning? She gave out a deep sigh and stood up gallantly, a position worth of her praetorship. 

"I, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano,daughter of Bellona, swear by the river of Styx, the Senate and the People of Rome, that I will keep your secret…" Nico's eyes were on her, watching her solemnly. "…and assist you with your great endeavour." The last part was uncalled for yet she wanted to say it. A grave mistake of hers and now she's bound to keep that oath. Why? 

 _Nico and Athena won't get along well. He is under Categoria Denegare._ It must be a call of her praetorship and she hopes there's nothing more than that. It's not because of Jason. Of course, it's not! This is something she decided on her own. A duty she has to do for a brother. The boy appeared to be confused with what she just said. She was happy, though. Her dream of having a baby brother is starting to turn into reality. 

"Thank you." That's all Nico could say, averting his vision from Reyna to his submerged feet. He wasn't absolutely sure what she meant by that but he felt grateful. Whether it's for this quest or… his love for Percy, he can't just reject the kind gesture. For a moment he thought of Bianca, a small smile flashed on his lips. 

"You're welcome. But promise me you'll never give up." Reyna knew that at some point he has to. But she doesn't want to accept it. She's hopeless but the kid might just be able to do it. She winced at the thought. This is not just about the quest anymore. What about Annabeth? Is this considered betrayal? No. The oath wasn't very specific, but she knew what she wanted it to mean. 

It was low and quick but he heard it very well. This time, it's Nico's turn to think. Ambivalence and uncertainty was plaguing him, he didn't know what Reyna was actually saying. A part of him believes that it was just about their quest but another also believes that its not. Reyna's tone was indicative of something else, but he didn't want to dwell on that…

"Hey, brats, where's breakfast?" The satyr just got up from his deep slumber and was dusting his fur. Obviously, he was oblivious of the fact that he just interrupted a very sentimental conversation between the two demigods. 

Nico got up and took advantage of the situation to withdraw himself from the awkward remark Reyna had half whispered. He stood up and faced the disordered satyr. It would be better for them both if they drop this issue for a while. Time is an important element in their quest and they can't afford to waste it for some petty matters.

"Go look for berries or anything, coach. I'll be having pomegranate seeds for breakfast." he said with an aloof expression, got up and started walking to the cave, where they left most of their things. The satyr didn't reply but instead fixed his gaze at Reyna questioningly. He's not best with people but he can sense their stress and emotions just as good as anyone.

"He's just tired," Reyna assured him. But even her doesn't believe that. 

"You know he has the heaviest baggage to carry among us…" With that said, the satyr left her. There was something off with how Hedge uttered it, as if he was suggesting something else. It's just their first day of their but a lot of complications already surfaced. 

What about the others? How are they doing? A small sigh escaped from her as she turned her attention to cloudless sky.

"Gods, why?"


End file.
